Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 270 Turning the Tide (Part 2)
At the same time, in the desolate valley and forest, a small green snake swam quickly toward Song Yan.

Upon seeing the corpse in the field, Xiao He panicked and immediately transformed into human form, stumbling and running to Song Yan's side.

Snake Baby's face turned deathly pale, her expression panicked, and her little hands trembled slightly as she touched the corpse.

"Yanyan..."

Her fair little hand gently touched Song Yan's frozen face, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"I'm here. You, you, you can wake up now."

"Hurry...hurry up! You said you would come back to life!"

But nothing happened.

For a moment, she was extremely panicked.

Although Yan Yan had promised her that she wouldn't really die, what if he was lying to her?
What if he really is dead? Where should I go?
The little snake baby felt a strong sense of loneliness surging in from all directions, threatening to overwhelm her.

"Woooo..."

She could no longer hold back, and wrapped her arms around Song Yan's body, wailing, "You can't do this..."

"Wow..."

A fierce wind was blowing in the mountains.

The eerie aura merged and transformed into a woman in white, who slowly walked towards Xiao He.

She looked at Xiao He, her usually cold and beautiful face filled with heartache.

Bai Qi walked over and gently patted Xiao He's shoulder to comfort her.

She was originally a white snake who, by chance, became a demon cultivator, and it has been over a hundred years since then.

The demon cultivators on Shangtong Mountain are somewhat like a gathering place for human cultivators, with few rules and restrictions, so she occasionally mingles among them.

Over the course of more than a hundred years, she has seen far too many so-called geniuses.

Without exception, none of these people were able to cultivate peacefully and steadily.

Among them are those who are arrogant and disdainful of others. Once someone is found to be more outstanding than themselves, they become anxious and unable to maintain their composure, ultimately getting caught up in a vicious cycle of killing and unorthodox practices.

Some people are too sharp and quick to show off their talents, and they don't know how to hide their strength. They only want to become famous and look down on their peers.

However, there is an old saying that goes, "The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind." People who are so dazzling but do not know how to protect themselves will mostly perish halfway through their lives.

In her view, Song Yan belonged to the latter category.

"Xiao He, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences."

For Bai Qi, seeing a genius like Song Yan fall from grace was certainly a pity.

But most of the time, I felt relieved.

Perhaps in this way, Xiaohe will be able to leave with me.

This child's talent is truly astonishing, and Bai Qi is determined to have her join the monsters.

It's not that staying by Song Yan's side is bad, but he is, after all, a human cultivator who has no knowledge of the cultivation methods of demons, which means that there is no one to guide Xiao He.

Without guidance, the demon cultivator's methods were left for the snake to comprehend on its own, wasting precious time.

"what……"

Xiao He shuddered when she heard the word.

I am sorry for your loss.

This word feels both unfamiliar and familiar.

She remembered.

Back in Shiliang, on the day her grandfather passed away, she hid in a corner of the thatched hut and overheard countless villagers saying the same things to Song Yan.

Countless times.

The panic in my heart was replaced by intense sorrow. Was Yan Yan really dead?
Like his grandfather, he will never move or speak again.

Will I never hear him call my name again?

"Ugh……"

Bai Qi shook her head slightly. Separation from life and death might also be a test of Xiao He's character.

She stepped forward and said, "Whether you accept it or not, he is already dead. Let's bury him quickly and give him a proper rest."

Humans should have human dignity.

Considering how many years he had taken care of Xiao He, Bai Qi felt she could lend a hand with the matters after his death.

"No no no no!"

"No!" Xiao He hugged Song Yan's body even tighter, the scarlet blood crystals pressed against her small face, cold and icy.

"Yan Yan said that no one should be allowed to get close to him."

"He can come back to life!"

survived?
Bai Qi sighed inwardly, knowing that this explanation was simply because the little snake couldn't bear to part with this human and was unwilling to accept it.

In the world of cultivation, there are indeed methods to avoid death and prolong life.

However, most of those can only be used temporarily to avoid fatal attacks, such as life-saving treasures.

Similar methods exist not only among humans but also among demon cultivators.

Examples include cicadas shedding their shells and snakes molting and being reborn.

She had never heard of any secret techniques or supernatural abilities that could truly bring the dead back to life.

At least, it wouldn't happen in a remote border region like the State of Chu.

Children's thinking tends to be more stubborn, and they find it hard to accept things they don't want to happen.

She gently reached out, wanting to touch Xiao He's head, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say a few words of comfort.

However, the movement in his hands suddenly stopped.

She seemed to sense something and slightly raised her head.

rustling...

A black crow flapped its wings and flew down from a great height.

It landed steadily on the chest of Song Yan's corpse.

crow?

Bai Qi frowned slightly.

This crow had jet-black feathers, a well-proportioned body, and exuded a sharp, piercing aura.

Those golden bird eyes watched her silently.

A strange feeling of being seen through arose inexplicably.

"Xianxian!" Xiaohe's face was full of surprise.

Snake Treasure was no stranger to this crow; sometimes when Song Yan was cultivating, Xianxian would also assist him from the side.

"Gah——"

The crow cawed at Bai Qi, and its feathers began to flutter and fall onto Song Yan's corpse.

More and more black raven feathers appeared, transforming into sharp sword energies.

The sword energy surged and gathered in the air, gradually and faintly condensing into a human shape.

However, this humanoid figure was only an outline, its entire body shrouded in those sharp black sword energies.

In the blink of an eye, the crow's figure vanished without a trace, and the sword energy humanoid form was completely solidified.

It has no face.

The sword energy surged, as if burning within it.

Suddenly.

Amidst the surging darkness, a pair of golden eyes opened.

"You've been teaching Xiaohe cultivation methods all along..."

"A fellow cultivator from the demonic path?"

He gently raised his right hand and tenderly stroked Xiaohe's soft hair.

His gaze remained fixed on Bai Qi: "Nice to meet you."

The sound was ethereal and otherworldly, unlike anything a human cultivator could produce.

His tone was neither warm nor cold; it was impossible to tell whether he was friendly or wary.

However, Xiaohe immediately recognized whose voice it was.

“Song Yan…” Bai Qi’s pupils dilated, and his face showed surprise.

A technique to bring the dead back to life?!
She stood frozen in place, watching the "burning" black flames of sword energy slowly disappear into Song Yan's corpse.

The red crystals that had formed around the corpse rapidly disintegrated under the arrival of the black sword energy.

Xiaohe gradually felt the body she was embracing begin to feel warm.

thump... thump...

Song Yan's body actually began to revive.

A short while later, he slowly opened his eyes. "Hoo—"

He parted his lips slightly and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Whoa! You scared me to death!"

Snake Baby jumped up, wrapped its arms around Song Yan's neck.

Snot and tears, sticky and messy, were all wiped on his Taoist robe.

Song Yan smiled and gently patted her back.

"It's alright, it's alright. See, I kept my word."

Xiao He hummed in response, sobbing intermittently.

"How did you do that?" Bai Qi asked curiously from a distance.

"Is there really such a thing as magic that can bring someone back to life?"

Her tone was extremely sincere and frank, not like a test, and there was no malice in it.

His frankness and sincerity made Song Yan lower his guard a little.

He put the Sword Sect Jade Seal that he had been holding into his sleeve, but shook his head at Bai Qi: "It was just something I was prepared for, nothing more than a secret technique."

There was an answer, but it also seems like there wasn't one.

This is a secret technique of the Sword Sect, and of course it cannot be easily revealed to others, even if the other party is just curious.

Bai Qi was slightly taken aback. Having spent many years mingling among humans, she finally snapped out of her surprise.

I realize that I've crossed some lines.

Song Yan looked at Xiao He and asked, "You haven't introduced this lady to me yet, what's her name...?"

Xiao He suddenly realized that there were outsiders present.

She got off Song Yan somewhat embarrassedly, her expression a little awkward: "This is Sister Bai Qi, also a monster, a white snake."

Song Yan nodded and looked at Bai Qi: "I must thank Fellow Daoist Bai for teaching Xiao He the methods of demon cultivation."

Xiao He tilted her head and looked at Song Yan guiltily.

He wondered how Yan Yan knew about this.

"I originally wanted to sit down and discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoist Bai, and enjoy some wine and conversation. However, my fellow Daoists from Longtan Mountain will be arriving soon."

"Fellow Daoist, you should leave quickly."

It wasn't that Song Yan was asking Bai Qi to leave, nor did he intend to be polite to her.

Actually, Song Yan had noticed something a long time ago: Xiao He would occasionally disappear from his sight for a period of time.

She didn't know where she went, but every time she came back, she would diligently cultivate for a period of time.

It wasn't until Song Yan cultivated the Observing Void Sword Eye that he was able to see the demonic aura on Xiao He's body that didn't belong to her.

However, since the other party didn't seem to have done anything to harm Xiaohe, he didn't make a fuss.

Judging from their conversation and Bai Qi's actions, he doesn't seem like a vicious person.

On the contrary, she cared a lot about Xiao He.

Even without much contact, Song Yan would naturally develop a small degree of trust in such a person.

"If you have the opportunity in the future, you are welcome to visit the Dongyuan Sect's residence."

Bai Qi nodded without saying anything.

She gave Xiaohe a meaningful look, then slowly walked away until she disappeared from sight.

Song Dynasty banquet.

He seems to be a much more interesting human being than I imagined...

Song Yan fully expanded his divine sense until he was sure the other party had completely left the place before he relaxed.

Actually, Bai Qi's appearance was not something Song Yan expected.

In his original plan, he had even prepared for the worst, which was to abandon this original body.

Unexpectedly, Xiao He's arrival also attracted this mysterious guest, who then drove Xin Shan Sanren away.

This allowed Song Yan to successfully revive within his own body.

In this respect, he was still very grateful to this fellow demon cultivator.

This original body had undergone the tempering of the Qilin's precious blood.

If I had used the Sword Sect Jade Seal to teleport back to the Sword Sect back then and waited to rebuild my body, I really don't know if I would have had such an opportunity again in my lifetime.

Right now, the weakness caused by this secret technique is extremely severe. If the opponent really makes a move, I can only follow the original plan and teleport back.

Thankfully, none of my worries came true.

"call--"

He breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked down at Xiao He and smiled.

"This lady is a good friend of yours, why don't you introduce her to me?"

Xiao He herself is a monster, so logically speaking, she shouldn't be worried about having any special feelings for Bai Qi.

But she never revealed Bai Qi's existence to him.

This left Song Yan somewhat puzzled.

"The cultivation method you practice, was it also taught to you by her?"

Xiao He looked somewhat flustered and awkward when she heard Song Yan's question.

She nodded at first, then stammered, "That's because..."

"That's because you said before that Xiao He is a powerful monster, someone who is different from others."

"You can cultivate without being taught by others."

Snake Baby's eyes would occasionally steal a glance at him: "I want Yan Yan to think that I am special, that I can learn to cultivate on my own."

"It's a very powerful monster..."

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, which made his already weak body cough violently.

"What are you laughing at?!"

Xiao He seemed to sense Song Yan's mockery.

She puffed up her cheeks, jumped up, landed on Song Yan's shoulder, and bit him.

"In my opinion, Xiaohe is a unique monster."

Song Yan's voice was gentle: "He is the number one monster in the world."

"..."

When Xin Shan Sanren attacked himself, his aura as a pseudo-core cultivator was fully revealed.

Those cultivators in the vicinity of Dragon Pool Mountain should have noticed this.

Soon, several Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived from the distant sky.

One of them was Xu Ziqing.

"Song Banquet!"

He frowned and quickly suppressed the sword light beneath his feet, which then fell in front of him.

Song Yan looked at the crowd, many of whom were cultivators who had participated in the purge of the Hu family.

It seems that the matter concerning the Hu family has been mostly resolved.

Everyone looked at Song Yan, and they all showed puzzled expressions.

I don't know what exactly happened.

Wasn't he chasing after that disciple of the Hu family who had reached the Qi Refining stage? How come...

Song Yan was now weak and his breathing was disordered; his Taoist robe was covered in blood.

Xu Ziqing remained silent, slowly stepped forward, placed his hands on Song Yan's back, and gently channeled spiritual energy into him.

"Junior Brother Song, what's going on?"

"Cough cough..."

Song Yan coughed a few times: "That Hu family member who escaped was actually a demonic cultivator in disguise."

"This person must possess a special method to conceal their presence, as even a Golden Core True Monarch did not detect them..."

Xu Ziqing's expression hardened: "Do you know who the other party is? What level of cultivation they possess...?"

"He should be a demonic cultivator, Xinshan Sanren."

"Pseudo-Core Formation cultivation level."

A pseudo-Core Formation Realm?!

Everyone gasped.

(End of this chapter)